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Tuesday, March 29, 2016

It's that time again! Time for another edition of "One Man's Trash". Although I must admit I've been sitting tight on this one for almost a year now. Long time followers of the blog will recall that we Harris Sisters take an annual Sisters Weekend Getaway each year. (This year's Girls' Weekend will be coming up soon!) Well, over our Girls' Weekend last year, I found an amazing vendor selling vintage glassware, and this wonderful set ended up coming home with me.

It was summer of 2015, and these beautiful pieces were so carefully wrapped and boxed for my travel back home that I didn't immediately unwrap them. By the time I did, it was closer to time to put out fall decor, and then Christmas, so I have saved these wonderful pieces until this Spring. They look so pretty and the colors are perfect for this time of year. They will transition to Summertime beautifully too!

After a little research, I discovered that these ombre glass pieces were popular in the 1950s. This particular set includes a pitcher and 6 gold-rimmed glasses in green, yellow, and orange. There were similar sets made that also included turquoise pieces as well.

The set was marked at $48 (the tag was still attached when I pulled it all out this Spring.) But as I recall, the vendor was in a good mood that day and made me a deal since I bought more than one item. I think I paid closer to $30-something for this set, which was quite the bargain for this gorgeous mid-century grouping.

Here's a look at it on display in my dining room hutch.

I just can't wait to see what kinds of treasures we unearth at this year's Girls' Weekend! This one sure was a goodie!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Now, I know what you're thinking: get out the vinegar and some food coloring and a bunch of little cups and plunk the eggs in the cups. Pull them in and out of the cups to check their color progress until you're happy?

Nope! ;-)

This year, we tried a new method and we were thrilled with how easy it was, so we thought we'd share it with you. It was super fast AND it gave the eggs a cool marbled effect. (Just in case they didn't turn out, we put some other eggs in the old-standby cups mentioned above - and these were all done well in advance of those eggs. Don't know if we'll ever go back to the old method again!)

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Homemade pizza is always a real winner in our house. You can make this meal over and over again and with all the different topping choices at your disposal you could never really have the same meal twice. PLUS there's always the bonus of the family time you get to spend assembling the pizzas. That's always fun too!

I thought I'd share my favorite recipe for homemade pizza dough - this one's a real winner. It has some extra spices that really make it the star of the show! In fact, sometimes when we talk about making homemade pizzas, we sometimes settle on just making breadsticks with the dough . . . it's that good!

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

1 1/3 cups water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp honey

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp cornmeal

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tsp yeast

Add ingredients to machine in the order listed.

Set to Dough mode and let the machine run through its cycle.

Once cycle is complete, place in greased bowl and allow to rise about 30 min.

Divide in half. Cover pizza stones with cornmeal and flatten into desired shape. (If you aren't going to use the dough right away, place into ziplock bags, then stack flat in the refrigerator to be used when needed.)

Add light layer of sauce and pre-bake your crust at 400 degrees for 5 minutes while you gather and assemble your other toppings (this will ensure a nice, crisp crust).

For those of you who do not have a bread machine or would rather assemble the dough by hand, check out these general directions for converting bread machine recipes to by-hand recipes by Don't Waste the Bread Crumbs. I have only ever used this recipe with a bread machine, but her post seems to give all the guidance needed for conversions. ;-)

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Here in my part of the world, it's kids consignment season once again. I'll bet the same is true in your neck of the woods too. Usually, they roll around twice a year, in the early spring, and again in the early fall. My neighbors first introduced me to the world of kids consignment sales when I was still pregnant with Lexi. Before then, I honestly never even knew they existed. Lexi is almost two years old now, which means I've been participating first as a shopper, and more recently also as a consignor for a total of five consignment seasons now. And I have surely learned more than I ever hoped to know about these sales. So let's talk about it.

Tips for Shopping in the Consignment Sales

First, let's chat about shopping the sales. Shopping is certainly a lot less work intensive than consigning, but also requires some skill, if you want to ensure you are getting the best selection and the best deals.

So first, where are the consignment sales in your area? Chances are there are plenty. You just have to know where to find them. They usually pop up at various locations around town in the late winter/early spring. These are the spring/summer sales. And again in the late summer/ early fall. These are the fall/winter sales. There are all sorts of websites dedicated to listing the kids consignment sales in your area. Most of these sites will list the dates, locations, and website links to each of the sales around town. Here is my favorite consignment directory site to get you started.

Now that you have found the consignment sales in your area, when should you shop? Well, obviously, the earlier in the shopping window you can plan to shop, the better off you are. You will find the largest selection awaiting you. Check your sale's website or Facebook page beforehand though. In many cases, they allow new moms (including pregnant mommies) to shop early - like before the sale opens to the public. Some sales also offer guest passes for "pre-sales", again before the doors open to the public. Take advantage of all early shopping opportunities that you can. Of course, another way to shop early is to actually consign in the sale or volunteer to work at the sale. If you are able to do either (or both) of these, make sure you are definitely lining up for your early shopping window. If you can't get in on early shopping, definitely try to shop as soon as the sale opens to the public. Some sales have "restock" days where consignors can bring additional items after the sale has already started. And many consignment sales also have discount days toward the end of their sale where items may be heavily discounted (at the consignor's discretion). Discounted items will be clearly marked. Many savvy mommies plan to go (whether for the first time or back for round two) on the discount days of the sale.

And what should you be shopping for? The lion's share of the inventory at most kids consignment sales will be children's clothing. Sizes range from newborn on up. Most sales that I participate in accept sizes up to junior/ teen sized clothing, with some even accepting adult sized clothing as well. Clothing will be grouped by size and gender so things should be fairly straightforward. But in addition to clothing, most sales also sell shoes and accessories, tons of toys- more and more including lots of electronics, books, DVDs, and lots of baby equipment - think things like strollers, pack and plays, high chairs, cribs, nursery items, and much more. If you are a grandparent who needs spare baby items to keep at your house, these sales are the place to be! So be sure to look around and make sure you don't miss out on anything. And, for the spring/summer sales, there are usually big racks of swimsuits and swim/beach toys. I also like to look for things like Easter baskets and sporting/outdoor equipment at these sales. At the fall/winter sales, be on the lookout for winter coats, hats, gloves, and boots. And don't forget Halloween costumes. They are always at these sales! A couple of my consignment sales also offer monogramming on site so you can get your new purchases instantly personalized. And almost all of them have huge racks of brand new bows and other hair accessories.

What else should you know? ALWAYS bring your own bags with you. Most sales don't supply them for you. Expert shoppers even bring big laundry baskets that they can plop their selections down into while they shop, just scooting it along on the floor. I tend to bring the oversized shopping bags. Either way, it keeps your hands free while you are making your selections, and provides you with something to carry your purchases in once you are done shopping. Check on your sale's website or Facebook page to make sure you know which payment methods they accept before you go. Most
of the sales in my area will take a credit/debit card but not a check. Also, there are big discard racks placed throughout these sales so if you decide against something before checking out, just plunk it down on one of these racks and a volunteer will get it back to the right place. And if you decide to purchase a large item (furniture or other oversized items), there is usually a holding area that you can leave it in (or notify a volunteer and they will help you) so you don't have to drag it around while you are shopping or worry about anyone else buying it before you check out.

Now, for those of you who are ready to advance to consigning in these sales, read on for more!

Tips for Consigning in the Consignment Sales

I consigned in my first sale when Lexi was 6 months old. She had already outgrown a slew of infant items and I was ready to clear things out to make room for new clothes, new sizes, a new season, and lots of new stages of toys and baby accessories that she was sure to need. So, as you may have guessed, there are a lot of advantages to consigning in the sales, not the least of which is clearing things out to make room for the new. In addition, as a consignor, you are also able to shop the sales before they open to the public. It's a huge advantage, and one of the primary reasons I first started to consign. And last, but certainly not least, you usually earn a tidy sum on the items you sell. In the sales I consign in, the standard is that the consignor takes home 70% of their sales, with the sale itself taking the other 30%. The portion the sale keeps funds the rental of the actual space, clothing racks, and all other expenses related to running the sale. I feel like it's a fair trade off. These sales give me a perfect venue to sell my items without having to list them one at a time on an auction site or shipping them to a buyer.

So what do you need to know before you consign? You will need to register to consign in the sale through their website. Many sales also require that you pay a small consignor fee to help cover the cost of advertising and other expenses. When you register, you will also need to sign up for a drop off appointment. This is the time that you will bring your items in to be added to the sale.

Next, I would say you need to be prepared with all your necessary supplies and a little patience too. By "supplies" I mean there are things that you will need to prepare your items for consignment, such as:

Hangers: Check beforehand to find out whether you should use plastic or wire hangers. Most of the sales in my area require wire hangers unless you are hanging infant-sized clothing.

Safety pins: Use these for attaching price tags to clothing and clothing to the hangers.

Card stock: Most of our local sales require that you use card stock (instead of regular printer paper) to print your price tags.

Scissors: Use these to cut sheets of printed price tags into individual tags.

Tape or hole punch/ribbon: You will need these for attaching tags to toys and larger items.

Zip ties: These work great to hold pairs of shoes together.

Ziplock bags: You will find that these come in handy to hold items with multiple pieces and parts.

Now that you have all your supplies ready to go, what should you consider consigning? I would say you would want to consign clothing, shoes, toys, equipment, etc that is still in great shape and has lots of life left. If the item appears worn or stained, or you personally wouldn't buy it- then it's probably not worth consigning. Check with the sale you are entering to make sure you know what types of items they accept, as well as if there are any restrictions on the brands of clothing that they accept. Definitely clean your items up and make sure they look their best. If it's a toy, make sure all the pieces and parts are accounted for, and that it's in good working order. Many sales require that battery operated toys have working batteries in them so customers can see how (and that) the toy works before they buy it.

How should you price your items? Yes, the prices are up to the consignor. But it's a bit of a fine line. Price your items too high, and they won't sell. Price them too low, and they will sell but you will be missing out on lots of profit. The best advice I can give you here is to know what your items are worth, and start from there. The general rule of thumb is pricing your item somewhere between 40-80% off the original retail price depending on the general condition of the item, style, demand, and brand. And if you've shopped these sales a time or two, you will start to see what most items reasonably go for. You must use the sale's website to enter your items into their inventory. This will also create tags for each of your items that you will print and attach to each item. Once you do this a time or two, you will quickly understand how the process works, and it should go smoothly for you. Most of these sales also allow you to indicate that you wish to discount your item half price (or not) if it's still on the rack on the sale day, or to indicate that you want to donate (or not) your item if it doesn't sell. Again, these options are completely up to you as the consignor, but these are decisions that you will need to make.

Another tip for you - don't wait until the 11th hour to do it all. I would consider myself a pretty organized person, but even still, this process takes a bit of time and a little effort. In my opinion, the rewards are definitely worth it, but don't stress yourself out unnecessarily by saving too much of the work until the last minute. I try to dedicate an hour or so in the evenings while my husband is having play time with our babe to work on hanging clothing, entering items into the inventory system, and tagging. I generally start cleaning out, sorting, organizing, and such about a month before the actual sale, and then working on it a little at a time until the sale date rolls around. You can certainly do it in less time, and many do, but I like to give myself plenty of time for this task. And I know that there will be some days that I don't have time (or want) to work on it. :)

At your designated drop off time, you will need to bring all your pre-tagged items to the sale. Volunteers will get them to the correct place for you. If you are interested in shopping the sale, then you will be able to shop early with the other consignors. Definitely take advantage of this opportunity (and see my shopping tips listed above). Then, at the conclusion of the sale if you have items that did not sell, you will be able to return to pick them up. Otherwise, they are usually donated on your behalf. Be sure to note when the pick up time is in case you want any of your items back.

Once the sale is complete, your consignor check should be ready for you shortly after. Some sales have your checks ready by the time you pick up your unsold items. Others will mail your check within the week.

The third and final level of consigning is actually volunteering to work the sales. I have yet to advance to this level myself, but it's another way to shop even earlier in the pre-sales. Many of the sales also offer volunteers a higher percentage of their earnings, so if you have the time and inclination, volunteering could certainly pay off too. Check with your local sale about opportunities and how to get started. So that's all I have for now. I hope these tips will be helpful to you in all your kids consignment endeavors! Happy consigning, everyone!

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

The trouble with our heroes is that eventually we are forced to realize that they are in fact human. Just like the rest of us. Sometimes they fall from glory. They retire. Sometimes they get sick. Eventually, they pass away from this world. And we are left bewildered, deflated somehow. How does our world just keep turning when our heroes and legends no longer hold the same place that they always rightfully enjoyed?

In just the past week, we lost two lovely ladies, both of whom I have held in the highest regard.

On March 4, 2016, Joey Feek went home to Jesus. If you don't know who she was, you really missed out, but thankfully her music will live on, and I have a feeling that we will continue to hear from her beautiful family. You see, Joey was half of the country music duo, Joey + Rory. Rory was her husband of many years, and together they have a precious little girl, Indiana, who just turned two. Joey was only 40 years old when she lost her brave battle with cancer. Her husband and music partner, Rory, documented their journey, their life, their family, and their love on his blog: http://thislifeilive.com. He is a wonderful writer, and has been amazingly open with sharing their story through his blog. Check it out. It's a wonderful and uplifting read. And you get to see the real people behind the celebrity. Joey was a wife and mother, a gardener, a horse lover, a cook, and so much more. John and I actually saw them perform in Nashville several years ago at the CMA Music Festival. They were nominated for a Grammy just this year- wonderful and very talented musicians. She left us way too soon.

And then just a couple days later, on March 6, 2016, former First Lady Nancy Reagan passed away at the age of 94. It's hard for me to imagine that she was that old. I will forever remember her as her younger self, the First Lady from the 1980s, who launched the "Just Say No" campaign, and tirelessly stood right by her husband, President Ronald Reagan's, side. She was the epitome of grace. She was beautiful and stylish, even as an older lady. She adored her husband. I remember when he passed away, I watched coverage on television of the arrangements. As she was saying her final goodbyes she laid her head on his casket and gave him one final "hug". When I saw this, I just cried. They were a power couple. They loved each other, but it was more than just love. It was adoration. She was his biggest and best supporter. And I was always fascinated by her. The world will miss this lady. When they made her, they broke the mold.

A few days ago, Peyton Manning announced his retirement from the NFL. And what news that was. He has played professionally for 18 years now. He is already a legend, and will most certainly be named to the NFL Hall of Fame. He has won two Super Bowl titles, and has so many other accomplishments I can't name them all here. In any case, it's the end of an era. My husband was always a Peyton Manning fan. So for years, we were Indianapolis Colts fans just because we followed Peyton. And by the same token, when he moved to the Denver Broncos, we became Broncos fans too. Here in the Volunteer State, he is the favored son because he started his football career here in Tennessee at the University of Tennessee, where he set all sorts of records and set himself up for a promising pro career. Too bad our heroes can't play forever. But he is going out on top with another Super Bowl win under his belt this season. Peyton, we will miss you, but congratulate you on a swoon-worthy career, and of course your retirement too. Well done, sir.

But to end on a positive note, I must mention my all time favorite. She is a music legend. The great Dolly Parton announced just this week that she will be touring the US and Canada this summer, hitting a whopping total of 60 cities, something she hasn't done in more than 25 years. Tickets haven't gone on sale yet, but when they do, I will be first in line. This lady is amazing, and I can't imagine not seeing her in concert if I have the chance, especially since it's doubtful that she has too many more big concerts tours in her future. Dolly, I'm coming for you so save a dance for me.

Friday, March 4, 2016

What they say is true. You only go round once. And if you are LUCKY, you will age. It's inevitable. We all do it, as we should. So in this, the year of my 40th birthday, I've already been enlightened a number of times about all sorts of things that growing older has taught me. And if you care to take a listen, this older (and perhaps a little wiser) blogger has a few things to share.

Health: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly Truth

Conceiving Children: Let's start with the easy stuff. Ha! What I'm about to share is something I haven't shared with many people, but it's time. If this reaches at least one person who needs to read it, then it was worth it. I was 35 years old when John and I married. We started trying to get pregnant shortly after we were married, and my naive 35 year old brain never once considered that it wouldn't be easy. Until it wasn't. I couldn't understand why it wasn't happening. We were both (relatively) young and healthy. I read and researched everything I could get my hands on. I tried all sorts of things that I read about. I tested and tracked my basil body temperature religiously each morning. Eventually I went to multiple doctors who poked, prodded, tested, and so on for far too long. No one really had any answers other than the obvious. I was a female over the age of 35, and the odds of getting pregnant just isn't as likely the older you get. It's not impossible. Women do it all the time. But the odds definitely are no longer in your favor as you age. To make a very long story short, we did finally conceive our precious Lexi with the help of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). I was 37 years old when she was conceived and 38 years old by the time she was born. I had an incredibly easy pregnancy and birth story, and Lexi is a happy and healthy little girl. We are a success story, and even though the process was long and difficult at times, I am still beyond thankful that it turned out to have a wonderful outcome. But I am not blind to the fact that many people have struggled even with the help of IVF and other similar procedures to get pregnant. We are fortunate, and we know it. My advice to any young woman out there is to really think about what you want your future to look like. And even if you decide to hold off on starting a family, like so many women do nowadays, know that you have options. Technology has come so far. You can freeze your young healthy eggs and utilize them later. Or at a minimum, have discussions with your health care professionals about your options and about your health in general. It's a conversation worth having. Trust me.

Mammograms: At my most recent annual check up, I asked my doc about getting a mammogram this year. She informed me that there was some talk among the powers that be to possibly change the age that women should start getting routine mammograms from 40 to 45, unless you have a family history of breast cancer or are experiencing some sort of symptoms. However, insurance companies still pay for this annual screening starting at age 40, so she asked me what I wanted to do. Now I have no desire to torture myself any sooner than need be. BUT, most cases of breast cancer are women who have no family history of the disease. And it's still a highly treatable and survivable form of cancer if detected early. So I made an appointment that day. In fact, I am glad to say that I had my first mammogram earlier this week. There was no pain involved in this procedure at all, and it literally took less than 5 minutes total to perform. The tech did tell me that with first time mammograms there's usually at least a 50 percent chance that they will call you back for additional films/ views because there are no previous images to compare your results to. I'm so glad to have it checked off the list, and will continue to take advantage of ALL the appropriate screening tests that I can.

Back Pain: Over the course of the past week, I seem to have wrenched my back somehow. I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with carrying around a 25 pound toddler on the regular. :) In any case, back pain is no joke. The only other time in my entire life that I've experienced back pain was in the 11th hour of my pregnancy. Little did I know I was carrying around a nearly 9 pound baby. Even my doc estimated that Lexi would be born between 6 and 6.5 pounds. So that explained things then, and in the days following her birth, my back pain magically disappeared. Incidentally, my brother-in-law, who also just turned 40 a few months ago, is experiencing back pain too. His is far worse than mine. Thankfully, mine is improving and things are starting to get back to normal for me. I'm afraid he still has a way to go. So does 40 and back pain just go hand in hand? Eeek! I certainly hope not. Moral of the story- take care of your body. You know what feels "right" so when something isn't right, make sure you get it checked out. Go to the doctor when you need to. Take the medicine when you need to. Take care of yourself, and be well. You only have one body, and it has to take of you for many many years to come. :)

Responsibility: Voting and Elections

It's an election year, as you know. You'd have to be living under a rock to be unaware of that little factoid. In any case, this election year has been different for me than any other since I've been of voting age. Yes, I have been registered to vote since I was 18 years old, and yes, I have always voted in every election. I am pretty proud of that.

However, as I said, this year is different for me. I have been following the process in a way that I never have before. I am genuinely interested in the candidates and what they have to say. I have watched every debate so far this year (and there have been MANY.) I have been out to the candidates' websites and read up on their stances on the issues. I urge you to do the same. Reading directly from the horse's website, as it were, is vastly different than reading or listening to the media's interpretation of the same.

I live in Tennessee, which is one of the Super Tuesday states, and for the first time in my life, I voted in the Presidential Primary. It was a rainy and stormy day, and as I mentioned above, my back was in bad shape. Not to mention that I also had my wiggly toddler companion in tow. There are a million reasons why it would have been easier to just pass on the opportunity. But there are far more reasons why it was so important to take advantage of my right to vote. I'm glad that I did. While I was there, it struck me how many others were there that it couldn't have been easy for. Lots of moms with their babies and children, lots of elderly- some with walkers or in need of other assistance, lots of people at the wrong polling place who patiently took instructions on how to get to the correct polling place across town in the rain. Sure, it's not always convenient, but if they can do it, so can you. It's important. I'm proud of me, and all the others who made it out to vote earlier this week.

And who did I vote for? Who am I endorsing in the race for the White House? It matters not. I mean, yes, of course, it matters- to me, and ultimately every vote matters greatly. But it's not my intent to impose my opinions on you. The important part is that I exercised my right to vote, and I will do so in November as well, regardless of who the nominees end up being. Know the facts. Read up on the candidates and where they stand. Be well-informed and do your part in the process. No excuses. End of story.

Skin Care: Taking Care of Yourself

I'm glad to say that skin care is nothing new to me. I have consistently used sunscreen most of my adult life and a daily moisturizer since I was a teenager. I never go to bed without removing all my makeup and moisturizing again before bed. It's a routine, and one that I'm glad I adopted long ago.

But sadly, when we were young it seemed like sunscreen was something we only used once a year at the beach, if then. And I've had the sunburns to prove it over those years. They say freckles are little more than sun damage, and I've got more than my fair share of those too.

Despite having good skin care habits in the second half of my life, I am still learning and adapting, and I hope to always do so. One product that I recently started using is Argan Oil. I've had a big bottle of it for a while, but haven't been very good about using it consistently. The French women swear by it as a moisturizer. I have started using every night now before bed on my face and neck. It softens your skin beautifully, and really is a wonderful moisturizer. But it is too heavy for me to use during the day. I still use the tried and true Oil of Olay to start every day, just like Mama did. And she always had the prettiest skin of anyone I have ever known.

No matter which products you land on, just be sure you are protecting your skin from the sun's damaging rays and giving it plenty of moisture, both with skin care products AND with hydration. There's no replacement for drinking plenty of good old fashioned water!

Practicalities: Renewing Your Driver's License

Every so often, it happens that the DMV asks you to renew your driver's license, and this was my year. But I learned something new this go round.

When I received my renewal reminder in the mail, it actually informed me that I could renew online, by mail, or in person. Wow! That was news to me. I thought you had to go wait in line at the DMV to renew your license. I guess the last several times I have updated my license it was because of changes that required that you go to the DMV- eight years ago when I moved to TN, and then again five years ago when I got married and needed to change my name on my license. Those sorts of things still require that you appear in person. And that's also the only way to get a new photo and signature. Otherwise, they will just use the photo and all other information that they have on file for you.

My initial knee jerk reaction was to go wait in line at the DMV because I really wanted a new picture. I actually like my photo very much, but it just doesn't really look like me anymore. It was taken about a month after I had just gotten a chin- length bob. And of course, now my hair is much longer. I thought it would be good to update it, but then I weighed that option against carrying my toddler to the DMV for an unknown wait time, and immediately updated my license online.

My license arrived in the mail exactly 10 days after I applied for it online. By that time it was, in fact, expired. However, when I applied for it, along with my confirmation, there was a printable page that certified that I had completed my license renewal and served as my license until the real one came in the mail. Aaaahhh, technology.

I did notice that my new license is valid for the next eight years, so by the time I renew it again, my photo will be 14 years old. Oh dear. I bet they will MAKE me come in to update it next time. :)

So that's all for now. We can lament getting older, or we can just be grateful for the life we live no matter how old we are. I choose the latter.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

March 4 is National Grammar Day, so in honor of the occasion, I thought I'd bring you this funny poem about many people's greatest fear . . . an error that ends up in PRINT.

Ode to the Typographical Error

Did you spot the error? They really are slippery buggers, aren't they?

If you personally know any editors, proofreaders, grammar police, or people who you can rely on to help you out with grammatical questions in a pinch, make sure to give them a special thanks today. :-)

If you're really on a roll and want to see some other grammar funnies, check out these popular posts:

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Meet the Girls

We are the Harris Sisters - Donna, Deanna, and Misty. We grew up in small-town North Carolina, and have all traveled far and wide since then, seeing the world and leaving our marks on it! Now, we share recipes, crafts, DIY ideas, decorating projects, fashion and beauty tips, and our lives with you. Hope you can spend some time with us!